Elevator-operating m echan ssivl



2 Sheets-Sheet '1.

S N.. T1 K R E D1 B D...

(No Model.)

ELBVATOR. OPERATING MBGHANISM.

No. 562,741. Patented June 23, 1896.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. B. PERKINS. ELEVATDR OPERATING MEGHANISM.

No. 562,741. Patented June 23, 1896.

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UNiTeD STATES PATENT trice.

ELEVATOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,741, dated J une 23, 1896.

Application iiled May 2l, 1891. Serial No. 393,596. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANCis B. PERKINS, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Elevator-Operatin g Mechanisms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to hydraulic-elevator systems of that class wherein the fluid employed to actuate the elevator is stored in a tank under pressure by means of a pump. lVhen the pump is operated by an'electrie motor, it has heretofore been considered essential to keep the motor and pump in continuous operation, as the starting and stop-v ping of the motor and pump, under a heavy load, has had an injurious eifect on the electric circuit in which the motor is placed, and which usually contains electric lights or other translating devices. It is, however, very desirable to be able to stop the motor when it is performing no work, in order to avoid useless expenditure of current, and I have discovered that by first cutting off the pressure in the pressure-tank from the pump, or, in other words, relieving the pump from its load, the pump and motor, being free from load, may thereafter be stopped and started without perceptibly affecting the circuit in which the motor is placed.

In accordance with this invention, a regulatin g device actuated by pressure in the pressure-tank is employed te relieve the pump from the pressure in the pressure-tank, and at the same time, or immediately thereafter, the power employed to operate the pump is also automatically cut off by a device actuated by the pressure in the pressure-tank.

One part of this invention therefore consists in a hydraulic-elevator system containing, in combination, the following instrumentalities, viz: a pressure-tank to contain -tlnid under pressure to actuate the elevator,

a p ump in communication with said tank, and means actuated by pressure in the pressuretank to relieve the pump from the pressure in the tank, and to control the operation of the pump, substantiall y as will be described.

Other features of this invention will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure l. represents a sufficient portion of a building1 provided with an elevator and its operatin g mechanism to enable this invention to be understood; Fig. 2, a detail in elevation, on an enlarged scale, of one form of regulating-valve to be referred to; Fig. 3, a section of the valve shown in Fig. 2, taken on the line n: fr; Fig. 4, a section of the valve shown in Fig. 3 on line y ly; Fig. 5, a detail showing the auxiliaryv valve in its open position with its inlet-port communicating with the inlet-port of the cylinder. Figs. (i and k7 show my invention in another construction, and Fig. 8 a detail showing a modified arrangement to be described.

Referring to drawings, the inven tion is represented as embodied in one form or construction in which the elevator-car A is suspended in the well A' by ropes a, passed about sheaves a at the top of the well and passed about suitable sheaves on the stationary and movable shafts a2 c3, located, as herein shown, in the basement of the building', and suitable mechanism for actuating the movable shaft a3 to move the elevator is and may be of any usual construction'.

The water or fluid employed to actuate the operatin g mechanism of the elevator is taken by a pipe ax from a pressure-tank a4,into which the fluid is forced through a pipe c5 by any usual force-pump F, the said pump maintain ing a pressure in the said tank. As herein represented, the iiuid after performing its wor r on the operating mechanism is discharged into a discharge-tank l), the pump P having its suction-pipe u? also connected with said discharge-tank, so that the water or other fluid discharged into said tank may be used over again in performing its work, the above arrangem ent being known as the Hinkle system. The pipe a5, leading from the pump to the pressure-tank, is provided with a check-valve as, and in accordance with this invention a regulating device or valve V is connected by a pipe a, preferably with the pipe a5, between the check-valve as and the pressure-tank, although the said valve may be connected'directly with the pressure-tank or other suitable connection thereof, if desired, the said regulating-valve serving to control or regulate the amount of delivery from the pump to the pressure-tank, as will be described.

Referring to Sheet 2 of the drawings, the

kpipe a is connected witht the valve-chamber IOO IOS

of an auxiliary valve u of the regulating device or valve V, the said auxiliary valve being provided with ports Q12 v3, adapted to cooperate, as will be described, with ports r4 U5 iu the main-valve casing,

The main-valve casing, as herein represented, contains a middle wall or partition 2, forming two chambers l0 and l2, from which lead the cylinders 3 l, the main valve V' in the said valve-casing comprising the pistons 5 and 6, moving in the cylinders 3 and Li, re-

spectively, and the piston 7, having its kseat in the middle partition 2 of the valve-casing.

In practice the diameters of the pistons 5, 7, and 6 for the best results will be respectively in the proportion of three, four, and live inches.

Communication between the two chambers l0 and 12 of the valve-casing is controlled by the piston 7 of the valve, the chamber l0 being connected by a pipe am with the pipe d5 between the check-valve as and the pumphd the chamber l2 in the said valve has an .outlet through a pipe a, which pipe I prefer should lead to the discharge-tank b, although said pipe may, if desired, lead to any other suitable place.

vice or valve is provided, as herein shown,

(see Fig. 2,) with a forked support c, in Ywhich is pivoted a lever c', supporting an adjustable weight c2, the short arm c3 of said lever cooperating with a suitable Stop c, which stop is carried by an arm orbracket c5 On .the valve-casing.

It will be observed that the pipes uw, the chambers lO and l2 of the valve-casing, and the pipe au constitue a fluid passage-Way through which the fluid delivered by the pump may be diverted, land that the passage-way is controlled by the piston-valve 7, which valve is operated by a motor consisting of the piston 6, working in a cylinder lfi, and a valve r, Which controls the flow o f the actuating fluid for this motor to and from the cylinder fi. This motor is arranged to be operated by the fluid-pressure within the storage-tank, and serves to move the valve 7 so as to divert the fiow of fluid from the pump whenever the pressure in the tank becomes excessive, and to again direct it to the tank when the pressure therein becomes reduced.

In operation fluid is taken from the discharge-tankb by the pump and forced under pressure through the pipe a5 into the pressure-tank a4, from which tank it is taken as required for the operation of the elevator, the position of the auxiliary valve o of the regulating-valve V then being as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the said valve u being kept in its'lowermost position by action of the weight c2 on the lever c, the ports 114/05 then being in communication with each other, the valve V being in its lowermost position, as shown, its piston 7 cutting off communication between the chambers l0 and l2 `of the valveT casing. Then the pressure in the pressuretank a4 shall have risen to a certain predetermined point, as, for instance, one hundred pounds, said pressure, acting through the pipe a9, will overcome the action of the weight c2, tending to keep the auxiliary valve in its lowermost position, and will lift said auxiliary valve to its elevated position, Fig. 5,

cutting off the communication from the port v4 to the port o5, and permitting fluid under pressure from the pipe a9 to enter through the valve y2: and port c4 to the under side of the piston (i of the valve V', moving said valve V to its elevated position to establish communication between the chambers 10 and 12, the discharge from the pump P then passing through the pipe 0,10, chambers l0 and l2, and out through the pipe a into, as herein represented, the discharge-tank b, the checkvalve as holding back the pressure in the pressure-tank a4, and relieving the pump of the load due to that pressure. lVhen the pressure in the pressure-tank a4 shall have become reduced by operation of the elevator, the weight o2 will again force the auxiliary valve U of the regulating-valve to its lowermost position, Fig. 3, to cnt off the pressure in the pipe a9, and upon lthe under side of the piston G, and reestablish the communication between the ports 'v4 o5, permitting the constant pressure through the pipe 0X at the top of the piston 5 to force the valve V to its lowermost position, Figs. 3 and 4, to interrupt or vcut olf the communication between the chambers 10 l2 and compel the delivery from the pump to again pass through the check-valve as and pipe d5 into the pressuretank a* to renew the pressure therein. When the valve V is thus moved down, the water which was confined within the cylinder-land below the piston .6 escapes through the ports v4, c3, and v5 into the chamber l2, when it passes onward into the pipe all. lt will thus be seen that when the pressure in the tank u* has reached a predetermined point the regulating device or Valve V will operate to cut off or divert the delivery of the pump and thereby relieve the same from its load, turning the delivery to one side-away from the tank a4, the pressure-tank remaining cut off from the pump until the pressure shall have been reduced, when the valveV' will operate to again connect the pump with the tank to renew the pressure.

The pump P may and preferably will be actuated by electricity, and, as herein represented, the pump has its plunger moved by a connecting-rod d, jointed to and moved by a crank d' on a shaft d2, carrying a worm-wheel actuated by a worm on a shaft d3, which latter is belted or directly connected, as shown, with an electric motor M.

Vhen an electric motor is .employed to actuate the pump, it is desirable to stop the motor and pump during the period in which the pressure in the tank a4 remains at the required maximum point in order to avoid useless ,expenditure of power; but as hitherto arranged frequent stopping and starting of the motor has been found to inj uriously affect the circuit in which the motor is placed and which usually contains one or more electric lights or other translatingr devices. The reason for this effect upon the circuit is that, as hitherto commonly constructed, the pump When started up must immediately begin to Work against the high pressure already in the tank, thus throwing' such a load upon the pump to be overcome by the motor in starting that the shock to the line is noticeable in the electric lights in the line; but with my improved system, employing the regulating device or valve V, the pressure in the tank is cnt ott and kept back from the pump when it has reached a predetermined point, so that if the pump is thereafter stopped, there being no pressure upon its delivery side, it may be again started by the motor free from initial load, Vthe first 'few strokes by the motor serv4 ing to gather suiiicient pressure to move the check-valve as and again establish communication with the pressure-tank. To permit the pump to be so stopped and started, the valvestem 25 ot the valve V of the regulatingvalve V may be extended through the valvecasing and at its outer end be jointed to and move the arm e, connected at its outer end by a link e with the switch or rheostat-lever e2, the latter being pivoted at e3 and adapted to move in one or the other direction over the series of contacts e4 e5, connected by varying resistances with the circuitin which the motor M is placed. Thus when the valve V operates to cut off the communication between the pump and the pressure-tank it will by the same movement move the rheostat-lever c2 over the contacts e4, to thus cut the motor M from the circuit to stop the pump, and when the valve V operates to again establish communication between the pump and the pressure-tank the motor M will by the same movement of the valve be again gradually thrown in circuit and the pump started. The operation of the valve V being graduahwhile Vthe movement of the rheostat-lever is more rapid, permits the motor to start the pump before the communication between the pump and the pressu re-tan k is fully established, so that the pump practically starts without pressure or load to work against, the load being thrown upon it gradually by the opening of the valve, so that the effect of cutting the motor so gradually in and out of the line is not noticeable in the lights or translating devices also in the line.

The switch or rheostat lever is herein shown as moved by the stem of the regulatingvalve V, this being the preferable construction, but the same result maybe obtained by employing an arrangement such as shown in Fig. 8, wherein the switch or rheostat-lever is moved by a separa-te valve or regulator, it being operatedindependently of the valve V, but at the same time and with the same effect as if it were operated directly by the valve.

When the pump is disconnected or cut oft from the pressure-tank and permitted to continue in operation, I prefer that it should discharge into the discharge-tank b, through the pipe a, as shown in Fig. l, but I desire it to be understood that any other suitable arrangement controlled by the regulating device or valve whereby the pump may continue its operation may be employed, as, for instance, such as shown in Figs. 0 and 7, wherein the two chambers or ports m m' at the suction end of the pump-cylinder are shown connected at one side by a pipe m2, in which the valve V is placed, the said valve being connected by a pipe a9, as previously described, with the pressure-tank or a connection thereof. lVhen the pressure in the tank shall have reached the predetermined point, the valve V will operate to establish the communication from the chamber on. to the chamber m" through the pipe m2, so that the operation of the pump dll cause the Water or other fluid to move back and forth through the pipe m2 from one chamber to the other as the pump-piston is reciprocated in the cylinder, thus accomplishing in a practical Way the identical .result accomplished by the arrangement shown in Fig. l.

I claiml. In a hydraulic-eleva tor system, the combination of the following instrumentalities, namely; a tank to contain fluid under pressure to actuate the elevator, a pump which supplies the tank, a pressure-operated governing device controlled by the pressure with in the tank, and connected with the pipe Wh ich leads from the pump to the tank, a iluid passage-Way controlled by the said governing device and through which the huid delivered by the pump is diverted Whenever the pressure in the tank becomes excessive, anda cutoit device arranged between the pump and the tank and operated Whenever the governing device is operated, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hydraulic-elevator apparatus, the combination of a tank to contain tiuid under pressure to actuate the elevator, a pump wh ich supplies the tank, a iiui d passage-Way through which the fluid from the pump may be diverted away from the tank, a valve controlling such passage-Way, and a motor controlled by the pressure within the tank and actuating the said valve, whereby when the pressure becomes excessive, the said passage-Way is opened for the Water from the pump, and when the pressure is reduced, it is closed, substantially as set forth.

3. In ahydrauhe-elevator system, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a closed tank to contain iiuid under airpressure to actuate the elevator, a pump in communication therewith and arranged to supply it with the motor iiuid, a motor for driving the pump, and governing devices operated bythe pressure in the tank, and operatively connected iirst to cut off communi- IOO IIO

cation between the pump and the tank, and then to stop the motor which drives the pump, substantially as specified.

4. In a hydraulic-elevator system, the combination of the following' instrumentalities, viz: a tank to contain fluid to actuate the elevator, a pump in communication therewith, an electric motor connected with and to operate said pump, a current-controlling device in and for the motor-circuit and actuated by the variations in the pressure of the elevator-actuating fluid, and a governing device for closing the connnunication between the pump and the tank and diverting the discharge from the pump also operated by the variations in pressure of the elevator-actuating fiuid, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. In ahydraulic-elevator system, the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a tank to contain fluid to actuate the elevator, a pump in communication therewith, an electric motor connected with and to operate said pump, a current-controlling device in and for the motor-circuit, a pressurerelieving device for the pump operated by the variations in pressure of' the elevator-actuating fluid, and connections between said pressure-relieving device and current-controlling device, whereby the latter is operated by the former, substantially as described.

(3. In an elevator apparatus, the combination of the following instrumentalitics, viz: a tank to contain a motor iiu id under pressure foractuating the elevator, a pump which supplies the said tank, a pipe communicating between the pump andthe tank, a cheek-valve in the said pipe, and a pressure-relieving device for the pump operated by the variations in the pressure of the actuated fluid in the tank and serving to cut off communication of the pump with the tank when the pressure arrives at or exceeds a predetermined amount, substantially as specified.

'7. In a hydraulic-elevator apparatus, the combination of the followingr instrumentalities, viz: a storage-tank to contain motor fluid under pressure for operatin g the elevator, a pump for supplying the tank with the motor fluid, a pipe connecting' the said tank and pump, a check-valve arranged therewith to prevent back pressure from the tank, the motor which drives the pump, and the governing devices operated by the pressure of the motor ii uid in. the tank and arranged first to cut oftl the pump from the tank and then to stop the motor which operates the pump, substantially as specified.

S. In ahydraulic-elevator system, the combination of the following` instrumentalities, viz: a pressure-tank to contain fluid under pressure to actuate the elevator,a pump which delivers into the said tank, and a regulating device adapted to control the flow from the pump to the tank, and governed by the pressure within the latter, and consisting of a weighted auxiliary valve upon which the pressure Within the tank acts and a main valve V which controls the flow of fluid through the pipe connecting the pump and the tank, the said main valve being in communication with the storage-tank through a passage-way which :is controlled by the said auxiliary valve, substantially as set forth.

9. In a hydraulic-elevator system the combination of the following instrumentalities, viz: a pressure-tank to contain fluid under pressure to actuate the elevator, a pump, a delivery-pipe connecting the same with said tank, a discharge-pipe for said delivery-pipe and a regulating device having a main valve to control the said discharge-pipe, and a governing device actuated by pressure in said tank to control said main valve, substantially as described.

l0. In an elevator-operating mechanism, the combination-of the following instrumentalities, viz: a pressure-tank to contain the fluid for actuating the elevator under pressure, a pump having its outlet-pipe connected to the inlet-pipe for the pressure-tank, a cheek-valve in the said inlet-pipe, and a valve in the discharge or outlet pipe of the pump operated by pressure in the tank when the said pressure has reached a predetermined point, substantially as described.

ll. In an elevator-operating mechanism, the combination of' the following instrumentalities, viz: a pressure-tank to contain the fluid for actuating the elevator under pressure,a waste or discharge tank, a pump havin g its suction-pipe connected to the dischargetank, an inlet-pipe for the pressure-tank connected to the outlet-pipe for the pump, a check-valve in the said inlet-pipe, and a valve in the discharge or outlet pipe of the pump operated by pressure in the tank when the said pressure has .reached a predetermined point or amount, substantially as described.

l2. In an elevator-operating mechanism, a pressure-tank to contain the fluid for actuating the elevator under pressure, a waste or discharge tank, a pump having its suctionpipe and its outlet-pipe connected to the discharge-tank, an inlet-pipe for the pressuretank connected to the discharge-pipe of the pump, a check-valve in the said inlet-pipe, and a valve in the discharge-pipe for the pump operated by pressure in the tank, when the said pressure has reached a predetermined point, an electric motor to operate the pump, a switch in circuit with said motor, and intermediate connections joining the said switch with the valve in the discharge-pipe, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of' two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS B. PERKINS.

Titnesses FREDERICK L. EMERY, EDWARD F. ALLEN.

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